Do you need ID to make a crypto wallet?

You do not need ID to make a non-custodial crypto wallet. Apps such as MetaMask, Trust Wallet and Coinbase Wallet create the keys on your phone or computer, and their makers say they do not ask for identity documents to set one up. ID enters the picture when a company holds your crypto for you or sells it to you.

Why does a non-custodial wallet not need KYC?

The difference is who controls the money. FinCEN, the US Treasury's anti-money-laundering bureau, explained in 2019 guidance that an unhosted wallet is software on a person's own device that does not need a third party to transact. It treats hosted wallet providers, which hold value for customers, as money transmitters with compliance duties. The software maker of an unhosted wallet never takes custody of the funds.

Wallet companies say the same in plainer terms. Trust Wallet states that creating a non-custodial wallet does not require KYC (know your customer identity checks). MetaMask says any platform asking you to complete KYC to use your MetaMask wallet is a scam, and that it does not collect your phone number. The setup steps are in how to set up a crypto wallet.

How do you make a crypto wallet without ID?

The process is the same for everyone. You install the app from the developer's official site or app store listing, choose to create a new wallet, and write down the recovery phrase it shows. Coinbase's help center says you do not need a Coinbase account to use Coinbase Wallet, and that you can sign up without an email address or bank account. Its keys are stored on your device.

Because no bank account or card is needed to create the wallet, setting one up does not involve a payment step. Sending crypto from it still costs network fees, which go to the blockchain's validators or miners rather than to the wallet company.

When do you need ID for a crypto wallet?

You will usually meet an identity check in these cases:

• Exchange accounts. Coinbase.com and similar platforms hold crypto for you. Coinbase's verification pages describe uploading a government-issued photo ID and taking a live selfie, with your name, date of birth and address matching the document.
• Buying inside a wallet app. Trust Wallet says a card purchase through an integrated provider can require KYC because that provider is a regulated business. MetaMask's purchases work the same way, as covered in does MetaMask require KYC.
• Crypto cards and cash-out services. These link to bank rails and follow the same rules.

Does no ID mean the wallet is anonymous?

No. Every transfer is recorded on a public blockchain, and once funds move to or from a verified exchange account, the address can be linked to a name. What KYC is in crypto explains why regulated platforms collect this data, and custodial vs non-custodial wallets covers the trade-offs of holding your own keys.